Abstract

Online social networks have become increasingly popular among Higher Education (HE) students. This brings new challenges to the way universities adapt social networks to meet student expectations and how they enhance career development and relationships with employers. This study reports the findings of a survey of 272 UK and international business school students on career development and entrepreneurship as a part of a wider study of online social networking in HE. The results of the study reveal key differences between undergraduate, postgraduate and international student population. The paper argues for a pressing need to raise the awareness of British undergraduate students on the enhancement of their career prospects through best practice in building and exploiting social capital on online social networks. The conclusions of the study help better understand motivations and barriers to an effective application of social networks in Higher Education.